What the Parish Council said

Parish Council in April
These notes of the parish council meetings are a summary prepared by the editor of the newsletter from the draft minutes and so may contain information that is corrected later at the next month's meeting.If you wish to read the full, unedited minutes, then they are posted on the notice board outside the village shop prior to the next parish council meeting.
The acting chairman (Tim Ing) welcomed Stephen Thorley as the new co-opted member.
Children’s Play Area. Kerry Talbot reported that the Spring Grand Draw had so far brought in £1471.50 and the draw will take place on Saturday 4 April at the Ox & Plough. Grant applications have been acknowledged but decisions on them will not take place until June. It may be necessary to extend the start date to September 2009 if all funding is not secured. There is a further application to submit to Norfolk Rural Communities Council for up to £20,000 which will be completed during the Easter break. Special thanks to everyone for their efforts with the Spring Grand Draw. The amount raised has exceeded the target of £1000 by a long way.
Recreation Area. The completion of the lease took place on Monday 23 March. The clerk has received a copy of the document and the cheque for the first year’s rental will be approved and signed at this parish council meeting.The council resolved to ring-fence £5,000 towards this project as agreed in 2007.
The Green. Unfortunate circumstances were noted regarding the haymaking on the Green. Some dispute exists over the way in which the proposal from the Parish Council concerning the letting of the Green was dealt with. The clerk reported on his on-site meeting with Norfolk County Council regarding funding from County for the second footpath. He is pleased to report that the Parish Council has secured grant funding from the County Council in the sum of £9,800. This money will be paid direct to the Parish Council and may be utilised at its discretion for construction and ongoing maintenance costs. Parish Council chairman Norman Cawston has instructed the clerk that matters should proceed quickly to take advantage of the time of year which is ideal for construction.The various tenders were considered and Trell Contractors (Watton) Ltd was chosen as the contractor to carry out the work. There is a revised specification for the surface dressing to take conservation issues into consideration.
Planning applications. Mr and Mrs Gedge, Twitchers Cottage, Stacksford. Ground floor extension for entrance hall, shower room and sun lounge, and first floor extension to form bedroom and bathroom. No objections from Parish Council.
B & M Developers Ltd, Stone Cottage, Fen Street. Insert two windows in ground floor lounge (amendment to previous applications). Observation from parish council members included that windows might become a door. There was no linkage from the existing property and will it become a separate property? The parish council cannot object to application as it stands. Only one councillor was in favour, the rest abstained from voting. An explanation of the doubts expressed by the parish council to be conveyed to Breckland Council.
Planning decisions by Breckland. Old Buckenham Parish Council, land adjoining Village Hall, Abbey Road. Change of use from agricultural to playing field and creation of car park. Passed with conditions by Breckland.
B & M Developers Ltd, Stone Cottage, Fen Street. Construction of two-bedroom cottage. Planning permission refused at Breckland.
Mr and Mrs A Medley, Ottomer Cottage, The Green. Proposed dwelling - two-storey with 1st floor as rooms in roof. With parking space. Planning permission granted at Breckland.
Mr and Mrs Seaman, Eel Farm, Fen Street. Annexe. Planning Enforcement Office warning that the extension is being let contrary to the planning permission originally given. A retrospective planning application from Mr and Mrs Seaman has been called for.
Financial. The items considered during this part of the meeting included payment of the first rent to the village hall for the recreation area (£385), the sum of £200 to the 1st Old Buckenham Scout Group for litter picking in the village and a donation from the Old Buckenham Newsletter of £500.
District Councillor’s report. Adrian Joel said how pleased everyone was that Old Buckenham Stores had won the Breckland Local Independent Store Star award. The Site Specific Consultation has now finished and this will be brought back for further public consultation with recommendations in October/November. Breckland is now offering free swimming for the over-60s in their Thetford and Dereham pools.
Councillors’ reports. A ‘lollipop’ person needs to be appointed. The County Council could be contacted about this. The waste material smelling in Fen Street needs investigating as some could be coming from kennels. The Environmental Health officer must be contacted for advice. The Annual Parish meeting minutes to be circulated as soon as possible. There had been a letter concerning a commercial sign outside a property on Green. It was not thought that this had been authorised. The Parish Council were awaiting to hear from Dave Newell who will report on the Youth Club scheme. A letter about litter dropping was required for the schools. Queries on the maintenance of the Village Hall car park will need to be addressed to the County Council as soon as any construction plant for the recreation area has done the bulk of its work. Trevor Crook will look into the Community Speed Watch issue with the police.
Clerk’s report. The Chairman had asked the clerk to obtain information on benches for placement on the Green. These were circulated for consideration as items to be purchased from the Allotment to Highways Charity fund.There is a new NCC Highways initiative - the Community Rangers Team. It should be easier and quicker to get minor road repairs, etc, dealt with in future.
Correspondence. A letter from Terry Cracknell regarding the annual parish meeting was distributed. Details of the CPRE litter picking initiative were passed to Mike Craven-Romain. Alison Frank has acquired a Green Right. Any views on the Boundary Committee Draft Unitary proposals, Structural review of Norfolk must be registered by Thursday 14 May.
The next meeting of the Old Buckenham Parish Council will be at 7.30pm on Thursday 7 May.